This invention relates to a multiple hanger and more particularly to a multiple hanger for garments such as blouses and shirts where a plurality of single hangers which are parallel to each other are pivotally hinged to a connecting rod.
A multiple hanger of this kind may be suspended in one suspension position so that the connecting rod is disposed horizontally, whereby the hangers are suspended adjacent to each other. However, it is also possible to suspend the multiple hanger unit at one end only so that the other hangers hang substantially vertically below each other due to the pivotal arrangement. The latter results in a particularly space-saving staggering arrangement which practically extends but little in the horizontal direction. Moreover, this arrangement is particularly suitable to pack blouses and shirts in their suspended position into trunks where they are simply and space-savingly stored. Despite this advantage they can be removed by one handling at the destination of the trip in order to be hung in a closet or the like.
Heretofore known arrangments of multiple hangers had the disadvantage that the pivotal hinging of the individual hangers on the connecting means did not lead to a common or simultaneous pivoting, even when the connecting means was formed by a continuous element and not, like in some other known embodiments, by separate hinged connections. Due to this lack of common or simultaneous pivoting, these known multiple hangers had a tendency to become twisted when the mode of suspension was changed from one to the other, thereby frequently resulting in sliding off of the suspended shirts or blouses. This is particularly disagreeable when such multiple hangers are used for the storing of blouses in apparel shops because, as is known from experience, customers prefer to remove blouses which interest them individually off the racks. That would, of course, result in the danger that simultaneously several blouses might slip off their hangers or even drop to the floor.
In order to overcome these disadvantages of these known prior art arrangements, an improved multiple hanger is provided, according to the present invention, by adding a guiding rod, parallel to a connecting rod, such that the hangers are pivotally connected to the guiding rod at a distance from their pivotal connection to the connecting rod.
The guiding rod, added on according to the present invention, connects the individual hangers to form a parallelogrammatic linkage which provides common or simultaneous pivoting of the hangers when the mode of suspension is changed. This parallelogrammatic linkage practically prevents the danger that one of the hangers might begin to move or turn when touched or handled so that suspended blouses or garments might become twisted or even fall to the floor.
Moreover, a hanger may now be easily taken out without the need to align the rest of the hangers, and also the change from a horizontal position to a vertical position and conversely is easily effected.
According to one embodiment of the present invention, a connecting rod and a guiding rod are made of flat strips to which are fastened flattened portions of the hanger hooks. Pivotal connection of the hanger hooks are provided by riveted connections. This arrangement provides for a particularly simple manufacture of the multiple hanger according to the present invention without requiring any additional means to prevent the hangers from being rotated or twisted around the axes of the hanger hooks.
Moreover it lies withint the framework of the present invention to elongate or extend the hanger hooks of the two end hangers of a multiple hanger, and to provide these two end hooks with suspension hooks. According to whether one only or both hooks are hung on a clothes rack, the hangers will hang parallel to each other or obliquely, almost vertical. The amount of departure from the vertical position or a negligible inclination of the individual hangers is determined by the width of and the distance between the connecting rod and guiding rod.
Other features which are considered characteristic of the invention are set forth in the appended claims.
Although the invention is illustrated and described in relationship to specific embodiments, it is nevertheless not intended to be limited to the details shown, since various modifications and structural changes may be made therein without departing from the spirit of the invention and within the scope and range of equivalents of the claims.
The construction and operation of the invention, however, together with additional objects and advantages thereof will be best understood from the following description of specific embodiments when read in connection with the accompanying drawings.